The present invention relates to light fixtures, especially outdoor light fixtures. More particularly, particularly, invention relates to improvements in outdoor light fixtures of the type wherein the frame has a polygonal cross-sectional outline and tapers in a direction from the one toward the other end thereof, and wherein some or all facets of the frame contain light-transmitting panes.
As a rule, an outdoor light fixture (which can be secured to the ceiling or mounted on a wall or pole) has a polygonal frame, in most instances a frame with four or six facets. The frame must be provided with one or more openings for circulation of air in order to remove heat which is generated by one or more incandescent lamps or other light sources mounted in the interior of the fixture.
In many presently known outdoor fixtures, the frame is assembled or made of profiled metallic stock and the panes are inserted in such a way that two neighboring panes have abutting edge faces whereby one such pane holds the other in place, and vice versa. In order to prevent the panes from being forced into the interior of the frame (for example, when the panes are exposed to strong gusts of wind), the lower marginal portion of the frame is provided with deformable strips, e.g., sheet metal strips, which are bent upwardly so as to overlie the inner sides of the adjacent marginal portions of the panes. The openings for circulation of air are provided by the panes due to unavoidable tolerances in machining of the frame and/or as a result of deviations of the size of some or all panes from a predetermined size. In other words, circulation of air is assured as a result of inaccurate machining of component parts of the fixture, and the combined area of openings often varies within a wide range, particularly due to the presence of clearances between neighboring panes whose dimensions often deviate considerably from a standard size.
A drawback of outdoor fixtures wherein adequate ventilation is insured as a result of manufacturing tolerances is that the openings for inflow and/or outflow of air often are large enough to allow insects to enter the interior of the fixture. The insects are attracted by light which issues from the light source or sources as well as by heat which is generated in the interior of the fixture when the light is on. Many insects fail to find their way from the interior of the fixture and their skeletons accumulate in the fixture, either at the bottom or at the inner sides of the light-transmitting panes. This necessitates frequent cleaning of outdoor fixtures, i.e., the aforediscussed strips must be bent back to open positions in order to allow for removal of one or more panes. Repeated bending of such strips causes them to break off which necessitates repair or discarding of the fixture.